Stand By You
by Poetry of a Bird Kid
Summary: Max and the flock are on the run. Again. But when the Voice leads them to a mysterious girl, things start to go haywire! Rated T cause....it just is. The story is a WHOLE lot better than the summary. R&R! :D
1. Chapter 1

**Oh my gosh. I _finally_ have my first chapter up! I thought this day would never come (insert happy sigh)... Anyway, I really hope you like my story...I worked really hard on it...sooooo...yeah.**

**Disclaimer: I, Poetry of a Bird Kid, do not own Maximum Ride....(bursts into tears) CURSE THIS CRUEL, CRUEL WORLD!!! **

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**Max POV **

"…and it was so cool! The food was alright, I guess, but I've never seen a restaurant with a _fountain_. And did you see the lights? I can't believe…"

"Nudge," I interrupted her. She was blabbering about this fancy restaurant we'd been to. Again. "You've told us about the lights _four times_."

Her dark eyebrows scrunched together. "I did?"

"Yes. You did," I replied, closing my eyes and rubbing my temples.

"They were shaped like flowers, right?" Gazzy chimed in.

"Yeah…" Nudge mumbled, sounding disappointed that she couldn't share her story with anyone. Bummer.

"You haven't told us about the wallpaper yet," offered Angel, picking the topic right out of Nudge's head.

Because we just need to hear about something we've _already seen_, I thought dryly as she launched into a detailed description of the wall furnishings. Oh, well. At least it will make her feel better.

_You really love her_, said my oh-so-helpful Voice.

_Duh_, I replied. _I love everybody in the flock_. My thoughts drifted over to Fang, and I watched him gliding smoothly through the sky with his strong, black, sexy…wait. Just forget I said that.

_You know you love him_, my Voice said. _In a way that you don't love the rest of the rest of the flock._

_ You're being ridiculous_, I replied stubbornly. That's me. Never-cave-in Max. Take that, Voice.

_Max, I'm inside your head. I know you as well as you know yourself_, it said, trying to reason with me. If you've read any of my books, you know that reasoning has about the same effect on me as a flyswatter has on a T-rex. Not that I'm trying to compare myself to a dinosaur or anything.

_Why did you decide to randomly appear in my head again?_ I snapped.

_I just wanted to tell you that you should be keeping an eye out for a place to sleep. It's getting dark out. _I waited for it to tell me something I didn't already know, but the voice was silent. What the heck was that?? That couldn't be it. My voice was always giving me confusing riddles, not annoying me with the obvious! Something was seriously up, and I was going to figure it out.

_Voice?_ I yelled in my head. There was no reply. _You better tell me what you're up to_, I threatened uselessly.

_I suggest you take my advise, Maximum_, was the only answer I got. Of course. Sighing, I gave up my futile attempt to struggle answers out of my almost-as-stubborn-as-me Voice. But, knowing that it's usually right, I motioned for the flock to dive below the clouds.

"What are we doing?" asked Iggy as he flew up beside me.

"We're looking for a place to sleep."

_Preferably a cave_, my voice added.

I conveyed the message to Iggy, who looked at me like I'd grown two heads. Not that he'd be able to see it if I did.

"Since when do you have preferences?" he asked incredulously. Usually, when it comes to places to stay, if it's hidden, has an easy escape route, and is big enough to accommodate the flock, it's as good as any fancy-schmancy hotel (well, maybe not as comfortable, but you get the point).

"Since now. So tell everybody to start looking," I commanded in the most Max-ish voice I could manage. As soon as we were below the clouds, I did a quick 360 and saw Fang do the same. After about 10 minutes of very unproductive searching, I felt him come up behind me.

"Let's go back up into the clouds," he said. "There's someone sitting near that cave. He pointed, and I followed his finger. Well what do you know. Even though there weren't any trails for miles and miles, there was a little girl sitting by herself at the mouth of a nearby cave. As soon as I began to angle myself upwards, and motion for the flock to do the same, I was interrupted.

_Go down there and see what's happening_, my Voice commanded. Fang saw my hesitation and raised his eyebrows questioningly.

"Voice," I explained. He nodded.

_This better be good_, I mumbled in my head without, of course, getting a reply. After motioning for the flock to land out of sight of the cave, we crept through the trees until we could hear the quiet sobbing of the girl in question. I would be crying too if I found myself in the middle of nowhere without wings…or maybe I wouldn't. Hard to say.

Anyway, I was close enough to tell that the girl was around Angel's age, which is somewhere in the six range. What was a girl so young doing in the middle of nowhere by herself? My question was partially answered when I heard quick footsteps coming out of the cave.

"Skye," an older girl's voice said. "Get in the cave. Now." The tone of her voice made my blood run cold. She didn't say like I would have. You know, in a do-it-or-I'll-kick-your-sorry-butt sorta way. This girl sounded scared and desperate, like a monster was on their tail and they had nowhere else to run. After doing several panicked 360s, Angel came up beside me and tugged on my sleeve.

"Max," she whispered urgently.

"What is it, sweetie?" I managed to say without completely losing my nerve.

"They're just like us. They know about the School."

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**(insert big dramatic _BUM-BUM-BUM_) So...did yous likes it? I promise that it will pick up the pace!!!! Just keep reading; it won't kill you...**

** This is my first ever fanfic by the way. I didn't tell you that at the beginning because I was really afraid that you'd judge me....Well, anyways, you know what to do! Review! NOW!!!!.....okay that was creepy. Just do it. If you do, I'll love you _thiiiiis_ much (holds out arms in a really bad Fang impersonation). Please feel free to correct me on, like, grammar, spelling, and all that jazz...or heavy metal. Jazz is just to calm, don't you think? Oh, well. **


	2. Chapter 2

**Alright, so the second chapter is up! Aren't u excited? I know I am :) And btw, thanks for reading my story ;) as a new author, it really means a lot....**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride. But Iggy is still mine (swoon...)  
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**Max POV**

Let me just take this time to tell you a couple of very important facts.

1. _Nobody _is just like us. And if you ever see another mutant bird-kid on the run, feel free to let me know.

2. Anybody associated with the School in any way is out to kill us. Period.

So it shouldn't surprise you that every single member of the flock got into a more battle-ready position. They make me so proud.

"No! It's okay! They're just like us!" Angel insisted.

"You mind explaining that?" I snapped, trying not to raise my voice. And for all you kid-lovers out there going, "How could you talk to a six year old like that?" I was stressed. And Angel's tough. Plus, she's been dealing with my off-the-charts stress levels since- well, you get the picture.

But before she could even open her mouth to speak, I heard soft footsteps making their way towards us. A quick 360 told me that, except for the approaching threat, everything was normal: the trees, the birds, the determined look on all 4 faces…wait. I did a double take. The look on Angel's face wasn't bloodthirsty, determined, or watch-out-world-I'm-a-mind-reading-six-year-old-bird-kid-ready-to-rip-your-head-off. It was…hopeful. What?

"Can I go say hi, Max?" she asked innocently. And despite the approaching danger, everybody straightened up out of surprise and looked disbelievingly at Angel.

After several seconds of stuttering, I managed to choke out, "No! You may _not_ say_hi_! This is-this is…" I scrambled for the right word to describe the totally bizarre situation.

"…a wonderful time to get away from my hiding spot," a voice finished for me.

My head snapped up, and I saw a girl my age standing there looking at us like we'd seriously screwed up her perfectly good day. Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Fang blink, which pretty much meant he was completely shocked. I was too. Was this the same girl who'd sounded so scared a moment before? I was _way_ confused.

But did the madness stop there? Of course not! Because this is _my _life we're talking about Angel skipped over to the possible-threat and said 'hi.' And then she _hugged _her. Like this was _not _a life-threatening situation!

I shifted my weight so I could leap at Angel and pull her back, but she turned her head in the flock's general direction (while still hugging the Threat, might I add) and said, "It's okay, Max. And she's not a threat. She's just like us!

Okay, I confess. I totally lost it. "What. Do. You. Mean?!? You keep saying that! We don't have any idea who she is, how she got here, or anything else, and you're telling me that it's _okay_?!?" Seriously, what was angel thinking? It was possible to lie with your mind. She could be a new robot bent on our death, or a-

The Threat took a step towards us, Angel by her side.

"Go ahead," Angel prompted.

Go ahead and _what_? And you thought _normal_ six year-olds were annoying? Try the mutant, mind-reading, bird kid version. On second thought, don't. You'll go crazy. Just like I was about to if I _didn't get some answers_.

And that's when the Threat stepped forward.

And unfurled her wings.

Well there ya go.

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**Sorry for the short chapter...You like it? Yes, no, maybe so? Either way, the little button that says "Review" won't eat you......yet MUAHAHAHA!!! :P**


	3. Chapter 3

**Well, Chapter 3 is up, and I'm excited! WOO!!!.......oooooookaaaaaay. Anyways, I'd reeeeaaaally like to thank my first ever reviewer: KitsPokePeople! (cue the confetti and streamers) YOU ROCK!  
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**Me: I own Maximum Ride!**

**James Patterson: No, you don't!! The Flock is MINE!**

**Me: Oh...that's right...how depressing...  
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"**Threat" POV**

"Where's Jack?" asked Skye for the umpteenth time.

"I don't know," I replied, the words coming out of my mouth like a ton of bricks. It used to be that no matter what kind of situation either of us was in, I would always be able to tell where he was without even pausing to think. But now…

I shook my head and tried to think about something else. Skye. That was always a safe topic. Looking up, I saw that she really needed some rest. As sad as it was, this was beginning to become normal. How could I put her through this? She was only six, but I've been making her fly for _days_…And that's why we're stopping, I reminded myself. I was pulled from my thoughts by her shrill voice.

"But you know _everything_!" she whined angrily. I knew that wasn't true; my power was limited by what I've experienced, but I really didn't feel like arguing.

"Everything but where Jack is, sweetie," I said as soothingly as I could. We'd had this conversation a million times, but right then, it looked like Skye had decided that she'd had enough of me not knowing where our third Musketeer had been dragged off to. She stood up, looking down on me as I sat on the cave floor.

"You have to know! You _have _to!" she yelled, tears already running down her face.

"But I don't," I practically groaned. "I don't know where the Erasers took him, Skye. I'm trying to find out, but I can't." It's a place I've never heard of, I realized miserably. The School knew about my power, so it made perfect sense. My heart dropped into my stomach. I hadn't realized how much I depended on it to find my way.

"Why didn't you follow him?" accused Skye. "You could have! They wouldn't have seen us! You know that!

"They had us at gunpoint Skye!" I yelled back even louder. "Did you want all three of us to be killed? I'm doing the best I can to keep everybody alive, and if that's not good enough for you, then you need to rethink your perspective on life!"

After a split second of tense silence, she rand out of the cave, sobbing. _Way to go, self_, I thought. _You successfully made your little sister feel even worse than she already was_. I buried my face in my knees and groaned loudly. All this worry and pressure had turned us into a little bird-kid soap opera. Ugh.

Just then, I got a feeling something was wrong. _What?_ I thought desperately, knowing that the School had to be on our tail. _It's….it's…a group of people. And_…I closed my eyes and thought about the possibilities. _They see us. Skye is in danger._

Leaping to my feet, I ran out to the mouth of the cave where I found her sitting there, bawling her eyes out. A surge of pity went through me. _I have to hurry._

"Skye, get in the cave. Now," I said, my voice shaking in fear. The School. It must have found us. They'll capture us and run tests and….wait. No, that's not it…not the School. Something like it, though. I tried to think as I watched Skye hurry into the cave, her sadness temporarily replaced by fear.

I heard whispering coming from the forest just outside the cave, and I instinctively moved closer so I could hear. A second later, the voice stopped, and I heard feet shifting positions in the crunchy autumn leaves; several pairs of feet, in fact. One person associated with the School was bad enough, but now I had to deal with…I struggled for an answer. Six.

De-lightful.

"No! It's okay!" a small voice shouted from the trees. "They're just like us!" At that, my stomach clenched with an unrecognizable emotion. Here I was, a girl with wings, out in the middle of nowhere, when six random people show up, saying that I'm just like them? There isn't a single person on the face of the planet who's just like me. Despite this, the little girl's words rang in my head, chilling me to the bone. Could they possibly be like me? Were they also victims of the school that were fleeing for their lives? Hope swelled in me before I had a chance to even think about stopping it.

No, no, no! I have to protect Skye. I have to drive them away. I slowly crept towards the group, wincing as my shoes crunched against the dead leaves. I made a mental note to take them off later.

Just a few more steps…

"Can I go say hi, Max?" I heard the same little voice ask. Max? Must be the girl's mom or something. No…the leader. Max was the group leader, who apparently was at a complete loss for an answer. This was my time to step in.

"No! You may _not _say _hi_!"

I took a deep breath and put on a mask of calmness. _Breathe in, breathe out._

"This is-this is-"

Here we go. I stepped into view, put on the most annoyed look I could manage, and finished, "-a wonderful time to get away from my hiding spot."

Everybody was staring at me with various levels of surprise plastered on their faces. One younger girl looked like her eyes were about to bug out, but a boy my age with jet black hair looked almost bored. Weirdo.

Suddenly, a young girl about Skye's age leapt at me with a gimungus smile on her face.

"Hi!" she said as if I was a long-lost friend come to see her at last. Then she hugged me. And you know what? I hugged her back. I'm not really sure why, but my gut told me to, and whatever it says, goes. Without question. Even if it means hugging a kid I've never seen before.

I suddenly became aware of a familiar feeling in my head. It reminded me of Jack, when I would let him into my head and we would chatter about stuff ant the speed of thought. _Oh_, I realized. This girl could read minds.

_But I don't have to be touching you_, the girl said, err…thought.

_But your connection isn't as deep_, I replied, noticing that I could only hear words, not feelings, pictures, memories, or any stray thoughts going through the back of her head. Sadness surged through me. Jack's power had been so comforting to me. Through it, we'd known how each other's brains worked, and he was the only person that a truly understood. Both of us had been built for escape, and back then, we'd thought that nobody could capture us. We were wrong.

_It's okay_, the girl said comfortingly. _My name is Angel, by the way. We're from the School too, and we all have wings, just like you and Skye! _I surprised myself by not being surprised…if that makes sense. _Why don't you tell everybody else about your wings?_ she added on innocently.

I groaned internally. _Oh, gosh, no. I'd stutter for days. I'm awful with finding the right words to say._

_ Then show them_, she suggested. _You and Skye could travel with us, and we might be able to help you find Jack!_

That got me. _Alright_, I agreed.

To my surprise, a look of irritation shot across her face. _Not you_, she explained. _Max._

I looked up and saw Max start to lunge at me, but Angel (who was still hugging me, by the way) twisted her head around to look at her.

"It's okay, Max. And she's not a threat." A threat? To what? I couldn't even throw a decent punch, not I'd ever tried. I was made for evasion and escape, not fighting. "She's just like us!" Angel finished, and I saw Max's jaw twitch. _Uh, oh._

"What do you _mean_???" she exploded. "You keep saying that! We don't have any idea who she is, how she got here, or anything else, and you're telling me that it's OKAY?!?"

_Go ahead and show her before she kills you_, Angel suggested.

I cautiously took a step forward.

"Go ahead," Angel encouraged out loud.

Desperately fighting the urge to fly away _immediately_, I took the advise of a mind-reading six year old and unfolded my wings in front of a group of complete strangers.

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**Well, I hoped you like seeing into the head of one of the new characters. If you want more of her POV (or not), just PM me...or you could review...yeah that's a good idea!  
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	4. Chapter 4

**This is where my story actually starts making sense! YAHOOO!!!! I know you must be so excited!........no? Oh well. I hope you enjoy reading chapter 4 as much as I enjoyed writing it! :)  
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**Disclaimer:I disclaim Maximum Ride....if that's even a word...**

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**Max POV**

After we'd all picked our jaws up off the ground, the Threat, accompanied by Angel, led us back to the cave she'd been staying in. There, she'd introduced us to Skye, a.k.a. the girl who'd gotten us into this mess.

_You can't blame her for your own problems, Maximum, _my Voice had told me as we all kind of settled down into an almost-circle.

_Oh, that's right! Because it's your fault, not hers!_ I shot right back.

_Use what you have,_ it said, completely ignoring me. _Take advantage of the situation._

_How? _I mentally shrieked

_You know what to do, Maximum._

It took every ounce of my self control not to scream in frustration. Use what I have? We're on the run! We don't have anything! And yet Gazzy and Iggy still manage to blow things up...They will forever be a mystery to me.

I suddenly realized that everybody was staring at me like I should be making a big, important, leader-like speech or something. Which I probably should. But instead, I decided to skip right to the interrogation.

"Who are you?" I asked the Threat, putting as much steel into my voice as I possibly could. She winced under the force of my gaze. Score one for Max.

"I'm me, and this is my sister, Skye, but you already knew that," she answered, voice trembling slightly. I could already tell that getting answers out of her would be like trying to get Nudge out of bed. In other words, this was going to take a very, very long time.

"What's your name?" I asked forcefully. Let's see her worm her way out of _that_.

"I don't have one," she said wistfully, but her eyes were dead serious.

As the flock leader, I've had a lot of practice searching people's faces for lies. For instance, I can usually tell if the Gasman is lying about not having any bombs, or if Angel "influenced" some poor schmuck to buy her something, even though she knows she's not supposed to. So when I saw the unclouded sincerity in her eyes, I accepted the fact that this girl didn't have a name. Against my better judgment, I, Maximum Ride, trusted a stranger.

_She's lying_, Angel said. Big surprise. But before I had a chance to strangle the truth out of her, I was interrupted by none other than the Nudge channel.

"Oh my gosh! That's _horrible_! We should, like, totally give you a name! You know, like he's the Gasman," she said, pointing to Gazzy, "because he farts _all the time_. So we could totally name you after one of your powers! What can you do?"

And just like that, Nudge saved me about an hour of forceful interrogation. I love that girl.

"Well," the Threat said, hesitating. "I think it would be better if we showed you." My heart rate kicked up a notch as a wide grin spread across her face. Anything that involves surprises and evil grins is _not_ a good thing. Fact of life.

"Let me go first!" Skye yelled, finally coming out from...wherever she'd been hiding from us.

"Wanna do it at the same time?" In response, Skye jumped up and down, nodding excitedly.

"Close your eyes," she commanded as if she actually expected us to. And to my complete horror, the younger kids _actually closed their eyes_. Iggy obviously didn't need to, and Fang and I were being cautious. Or you could call it paranoid.

"No way, not me," I refused, my decision set in stone.

"Turn around?" Skye suggested, still looking totally pumped about whatever was about to happen. I looked at Fang, who shrugged and turned his back to the Threat. I sighed, completely outnumbered. Grudgingly, I followed Fang's example and turned to face the opposite wall.

I strained my ears to hear any sort of movement, but all I heard was Nudge, who was shuffling her feathers excitedly.

As soon as Skye shrieked, "OPEN YOUR EYES!!" I had turned around, only to see...nothing. An empty cave wall. I automatically went into panic mode. I had heard her! She had been right there!

A shrill giggle came from the space in front of me. "You should see your faces!"

"I wish I could," came the Threat's muffled voice.

"What just happened?" asked Iggy, clearly confused. "And why is she huddled down against the wall?"

"They just disappeared," the Gasman explained. Iggy gawked.

"I wanna try something," Iggy muttered, standing up. He then walked over to the cave wall and touched a medium-sized rock. "What do you mean, 'disappeared?' She's right here."

"That's a rock," I said stupidly, totally not getting it.

"A breathing rock. With feathers." At that, the rock grew legs. And a head. You ever seen a rock grow body parts? It's a very unique experience. Then it turned, revealing a smiling, and apparently wingless, Threat.

"Whoa," breathed Nudge.

"Double whoa," Gazzy agreed.

"Anybody feel like telling me what's such a big deal?" Iggy asked at the same time I said, "Somebody better tell me what the heck is going on."

"It's my wings," the Threat explained as they suddenly reappeared. "They can change color."

"Let me feel," Iggy immediately demanded. I expected the Threat to give him a really weird look, but she held out her wing, and a look of wonder crossed his face as her white, brown-speckled wings turned every color of the rainbow and then some.

"It's really easy, actually," the Threat explained as they turned a light shade of purple. "All I have to do is mimic the shade of the cave wall. Looks like the blind guy can see more than you do!" While she cracked up at her own (really bad) joke, Fang and I exchanged a "she's crazy" glace, and Gazzy let out sort of a nervous giggle.

"How'd you know I was blind?" Iggy cut in, still engrossed in the Threat's wings, which were now a subtle shade of forest green.

"Not hard to guess," she said, shrugging.

"Awesome," Iggy breathed as her wings reverted back to their original color.

"What about Skye?" asked Angel, probably already knowing, but wanting to see it anyway.

"BOO!!!!" I heard directly behind me, and I swear I jumped right out of my freaking skin. Whipping around, I saw a hysterically laughing Skye along with Angel, who was laughing just as hard. That little twerp. I saw Fang smirk, so I gave him a oh-shut-up glare, which only made his smirk hot- I mean bigger.

"Skye's more talented than I am," the Threat said, interrupting the insane laugh-apalooza going on at my expense. "Turning invisible is way better than limited camouflage."

"Can you do patterns or just solid colors?" Iggy asked, his hand still halfway extended towards her wing.

"Oh, I'd never thought of that," she said sheepishly.

After that, we all somehow managed to split into 3 groups: Iggy and Nudge watching (and feeling) in wonder as the Threat managed to turn each wing a separate color, Gazzy and Angel shrieking in delight as Skye disappeared before their eyes, and Fang and I, sitting against the wall, hating every second of it.

"I just don't get it," I complained to him. "Why would she not give us her name? What's she got to lose?"

"Maybe she's afraid we'll turn her in to the School," he suggested in a way that told me he didn't think it was true.

"Should I try to force it out of her?" I asked, kinda hoping that he would jump up and yell, "What a great idea, Max! Let's start the torture right now!" But I knew that it would never work. And this is Fang we're talking about.

"She'll never give in," he said, being his own calm and reasonable self.

I groaned internally. I was Max. I was the leader who always had a plan, who always knew exactly what to do. For the sake of the flock, I had to find out more about the Threat. But _how_? She doesn't respond to intimidation, which is usually how I get answers out of people And I couldn't just beat it out of her like I desperately wanted to. I wonder what would happen if-

_Use what you have, Maximum,_ my Voice reminded me

_And what exactly would that be?_ I screamed back. _The flock? What do you want me to do, lock her in a room with the Gasman?_ I was desperate enough to actually consider it. How sad.

_Not quite_, said the Voice. And then it hit me. Angel.

Duh.

I had a _mind reader_. Why didn't I think of that before? I felt _really_ stupid.

"Your Voice say anything helpful?" Fang asked.

His question was answered by Angel, who skipped over and said, "You called?"

"I need you to tell me everything you know about her," I said quietly, gesturing at the Threat. Angel sighed.

"She's not a threat Max," she explained impatiently.

"Then why won't she tell us her name?" I demanded.

"She doesn't want us to know," said Angel as if this was the mots obvious thing in the world.

"Why not?" I growled, my patience wearing thin. Not that I had a lot to begin with, but still.

Angel paused. "She doesn't want me to tell you," she finally stated in a very matter-of-fact tone, which you all know I handle_ so well_.

"You have _got_ yo be _kidding_ me!" I practically yelled, earning several pairs of curious eyes.

_All in good time, Maximum._

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**Sigh. Well, there you go :) I really hope that you know what to do next, but I'm going to tell you anyways. REVIEW! It will make me very happy to know that people are actually reading my story.**

**Oh and one more thing. I read this freakishly awesome Maximum Ride fanfic called Fifteen. It's by Maximum Writers (haha what an awesome name). **

**Also, if you love Fax with all your heart and soul, you might wanna check out MR : Bloodlust by Hiwatari-Angel-15. Live long and prosper. :P  
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	5. Chapter 5

**So Ch. 5 is up...yeah. You know those days that just drag on forever and ever? Yeah. I just had one of those days, so I'm like really worn out. But I'm typing this up anyways! You know why?**

**Cause I love you guys! Really. Just the fact that you're reading (and reviewing) this story means so much to me :) **

**Okay I'm babbling. On with the story!**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride. Iggy, however, remains super-sexy!**

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**Max POV**

"We could have streamers and confetti and a cake and we could all sing and dance and what about music? Every party has to have music cause otherwise it's not a party. We are having a party, right Max? Cause that would be so cool!" Nudge finally took a breath, and I seized the opportunity to speak**.**

"We're not having a party, Nudge." Her face fell, and I kinda felt sorry for her until I remembered how much I despised all things festive. Especially when it comes to flock initiation parties.

I'd been drilling Angel for information, but all I ever got was, "She misses Jack." Whoever that is. And afterwords, she'd give me the whole "she's not a threat" lecture. Yeah. I'm getting chastised by a six year old.

"But Maaaaaaaax," Gazzy whined. "Iggy and I could do some awesome fireworks!"

"And then we could blow up the cake!" Iggy added evilly, and they slapped hi-fives. I ignored them.

"What should the cake look like?" Nudge asked, looking thoughtful.

"It should be blue," said Angel. "With lots of flowers on it."

"Don't forget her name," I added dryly. Nudge, being Nudge, thought I was being serious.

"Oh my gosh! We still need to come up with a name! Skye, you know her the best! You need to help us!" Nudge, Skye, and Angel peeled off from the rest of the flock and started to whisper excitedly. Gazzy, Fang, and Iggy were talking about whatever teenage bird-guys talk about. So you know who that left? Me and the Threat. Might as well try to get something out of her.

I dropped down to where she was gliding, about 50 feet below. "You know how to fight?" I asked her. It was a stupid question; of course she knew how, but I had to start somewhere.

"Are you kidding me?" she said. "Barney could beat me in a fistfight."

Okay. I was totally shocked. "But how are you still, like, _alive_?"

She shrugged. "If they can't find me, then I don't need to fight."

"We need to teach you," I said, finally pulling myself together.

She smiled evilly. Is it just me, or have I been getting a lot of that lately? "Okay," she said.

I narrowed my eyes. "What are you planning?"

"I'll tell you when we land. There's a really nice cave right below us." She dove down, leaving me hovering in confusion. How does she know that? We were _above the clouds_. Now that I thought about it, she's been spouting this kind of stuff for days. I ignored it at first, but now it was starting to creep me out.

"FLOCK MEETING!" I called before anyone could get settled.

As soon as we all gathered together and Iggy stopped muttering about me being impatient, I turned expectantly towards the Threat. "You have something to say?"

"Max wants to teach Skye and I how to fight," she announced. "I, however, don't want to learn." That got a couple of surprised expressions. We were magnets for anything dangerous created by the School. "So I'll only let you," she continued, sitting down in front of the cave exit, "if you can get past me." Was she serious? A couple of punches, and we'd be outa here in no time. "Are you up for it?" Fang looked suspicious, but I could barely keep from laughing.

"You're on," I said. I heard Skye giggle from behind me.

"Alright. Here are the rules."

* * *

So, basically, here's what we're up against:

1. The Threat is be sitting at the cave exit. We have to get past her.

2. No contact. If she tags us, or if we touch her, we have to start over.

3. If one of us gets out, she'd let us teach her.

4. She'll have her eyes closed. "To make it fair," she said. Right.

As soon as she laid down the law, Fang spoke up.

"You're hiding something," he said menacingly.

"I've told you all the rules," she replied coolly. "I'm not hiding anything."

"This is too easy."

"Why are you complaining?"

"I'm not."

"Wait," said Iggy, breaking the tension. "How are you going to tell where we are, then?"

"Oh my gosh! Can you see with your eyes closed?" asked Nudge in amazement.

"No."

_Angel, do you know what she's hiding? _I thought, hoping that she was paying attention.

_Yes_, came her reply. I waited.

_...and that would be..._

_The same thing that helps her find caves even when we're above the clouds._

I tried to think of some options, but I came up empty. _You feel like being more specific? _I asked, trying to sound persuasive.

_Nope,_ she replied. I sighed.

_At least gimmie a hint,_ I pleaded.

_Nope._

Six year olds. Why do they have to be so stubborn?

"I have a question," proclaimed Gazzy.

"What?" The Threat asked.

"Does it count if Sky makes it past you?"

"Sure," she replied, and Skye groaned.

"I won't be any help at all," she mumbled.

"But you can turn _invisible_," I pointed out, being the exceptionally observant person that I am.

"Yeah, but she can sense me coming from a mile away," she grumbled.

"Sensed?" asked Iggy. "Like as in hear? Smell? Feel?"

"No, just sense." Skye sighed dejectedly. We looked questioningly at the Threat, who shrugged.

"It's true," she said.

"Show me," I demanded, giving her my best I-dare-you-to glare.

"Okay," she agreed easily, surprising me yet again. "Skye, turn invisible, walk around, and I'll be right back."

"Sure thing!" chirped Skye, back to her usual happy self. As soon as the Threat flew off, she disappeared.

"Where'd she go?" asked Gazzy.

"Over here," said Iggy, walking to the back of the cave and patting the air, which let out a shrill giggle.

About a minute later, the Threat landed back in the cave. Everything was silent. After standing there for a couple seconds, she walked right up to Iggy and tickled the space beside him.

"Stop it! Stop!" squeaked Skye, turning visible. Yet again, the Threat had reduced us to open-mouthed idiots.

"Did she make any noise?" Fang asked Iggy.

"Not a sound," he replied. And if Iggy doesn't hear it, nobody does.

"So," the Threat said, breaking the awed silence that followed. "You ready for the challenge?" Challenge? Challenge....oh yeah! The not-so-challenging challenge.

"You bet," I answered.

"Well then. You know the rules. Let's start!"

"Good luck," said Skye. "You'll need it."

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**What is her mysterious power? Find out on the next episode of....uuhh....whatever this would be called if it was a TV show.**

**_REVIEW_!! PLEASE!!! MY SANITY DEPENDS ON IT!!  
**


	6. Chapter 6

**Hey all you people out there who I know LOVE my story. I have a bit of info for ya. A whole 36 people have read my story. And that makes me very happy :) But you know how many reviews I have so far? 2. Yeah. So, for my sanity, PLEASE REVIEW! If you don't, I just might have to die. :( Anyways, here's Chapter 6! Enjoy!**

**Disclaimer: Do I really have to say anything? No. No I do not.  
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**Max POV**

I felt a hand on my shoulder and nearly screamed in frustration. How many times have I tried to get past the Threat? Quite a few. How many times had she stopped me? Don't even ask. How close was I to punching something _really hard_? Not far.

Defeated for the billionth time, I stomped to the back of the cave with Fang, who was in a less dramatic state of frustration. On his first-and last-attempt to get past her, he had turned invisible and slowly crept along the cave wall, only to be stopped by miss I-can-catch-people-with-my-eyes-closed. I watched as the Threat sat cross-legged on the cave floor. Yeah. Not only did she have her eyes closed, but she was _sitting down_. Which only made me more determined to find a way out. This wasn't the case with Iggy, who, after 5 failed attempts, sat down an moped, mumbling about wanting to blow something up. Gazzy and Nudge were huddled together, trying to come up with a plan, and Angel had been staring intently at the Threat for a solid 20 minutes, doing God knows what.

We'd been at it for at least an hour. Nobody had made it though.

Frustrated? Me? Nah.

Out of the corner of my eye, I saw Gazzy smile evilly and nod. Never a good sign. Unless you were trying to get past a creepily-talented bird-kid. As soon as they un-huddled, the Threat's face took on a look of concern.

"Please tell me one of you guys has a gas mask," she said, and Gazzy's mouth fell open.

"How'd you know our plan?" he whined.

The Threat hesitated. "I just...knew. Kinda like a metaphorical voice in the back of my head, except a lot more reliable." I snorted. Anybody see the irony there? Just me?

"She knows everything!" Skye squeaked.

"Skye..." the Threat warned.

"But your power is limited by what you've seen," she recited, sounding like she was reading out of a textbook.

"Exactly," the Threat said, open her eyes

Something clicked. "Is that why you're always finding caves and stuff?" I asked bluntly.

"Yes."

"That's impossible," Iggy said, and the Threat blinked. "If your power is limited by what you've experienced, then you would have had to cover this entire area beforehand."

"No," the Threat began slowly. "If I ask myself, 'Is there a cave down there?' What are the possible answers?"

"Yes and no," he answered automatically.

"Now if i asked, 'Where's a good cave?' the possibilities are endless." Iggy nodded slowly, the way he did when we were discussing complex battle strategies. Or bombs. Same difference. "Back to my first question," she continued. "I've heard of caves, I've heard of yes, and I've definitely heard of no. So I'm all set."

"So can you only ask yes or no questions?" Gazzy asked, his brilliant, flatulence-filled plan forgotten.

"No, I just have to have limited options."

"Then how'd you find Skye?" asked Nudge. "Cause she could've been _anywhere_ in the _whole cave_. But you found her! And I think that's really weird, cause you just said that you had to have limi-fif fo-" Her blabbering stopped as Iggy put his hand over her mouth. I sent him a grateful look. Bless that child.

"She's my little sister. I know her better than almost everybody in the whole world."

Fang looked up. "Almost everybody?"

I expected her to laugh it off and lie again, but instead, she stiffened up. Her face turned into a stone mask, and her eyes went dead. "Yes," she murmured stiffly, doing a stunning impression of a statue. "Almost everybody."

"Who?" asked Nudge, obviously not picking up the tension in the room. Or cave. The Threat was silent.

"Jack," I heard Angel mumble, and Skye suddenly burst into tears. The Threat just stood there. And to be honest, I almost didn't recognize her. A deep sadness had replaced her smile, and she looked empty. Dead.

Like how I felt when Fang left the flock.

A surge of pity went through me, but before I could act on it, she turned towards the mouth of the cave. "The game is over," she said quietly. "You can teach me when I get back." At that, she flew off into the setting sun.

How cliche.

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**Yay! Hope you liked it! Sorry it was so short...but at least you know what her power is. There will be FAX. I promise. And don't forget about my sanity :) REVIEW!**


	7. Chapter 7

**So, I finally read Fang.... (SPOILER ALERT!!) and i am _so beyond _ticked off!!! How _dare_ he _fake us_ into believing that everything was gonna be a-ok and then spring _another epilogue_ on us!!!! Seriously? And then Fang leaves. LEAVES! SERIOUSLY?????? argh. anywho......here's a look at the Threat's fighting skills...she'll have a name eventually! I promise! **

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**Max POV**

"No shoes?" I asked skeptically, looking at the Threat's bare feet**.**

"Nope."

"Why not?" I asked. She shrugged, which I now knew meant, "'Cause my gut told me so."

"Okay, here's what we're gonna do," I announced. "Since I have been deemed the worst teacher ever," I shot a glare at Fang, whose mouth quirked up into a half smile, "you're going up against Iggy." Iggy nodded. "First, we'll see how long you last and then go from there!" Hey. Cut us some slack. We've never taught anybody, much less a new and weirdly talented bird-kid, how to fight.

We all backed up, with the exception of Iggy, who stepped in front of the Threat. "Um, okay...." she said, standing there awkwardly. "What am I supposed-" Iggy took a lazy swing at her head, which she easily dodged. At least she could do that much.

"She's defense-oriented, Max," Angel whispered. "She may not be able to punch hard, but I bet it'll take Iggy a while to land a hit." Sure enough, even as Iggy actually started to put effort into it, she dodged each punch, kick, and jab with perfect accuracy. I admit it. I was pretty surprised. About 2 minutes into it, however, the Threat froze, and Iggy followed suit.

"What's wrong?" I asked, going into panic mode. Had he heard Erasers? M-geeks? As soon as I spoke, she took a step away from Iggy. Oh. Now I see.

"Where is she?" murmured Iggy, confirming my suspicions. She was using other sounds to cover her already-silent footsteps; it was the reason she wasn't wearing shoes. I internally cheered. Why, you ask? Because something actually made sense, that's why!

_What did I tell you, Maximum? _my Voice chimed in cheerfully.

_Shut up,_ I snapped. _This isn't a good time._ Surprisingly enough, the Voice made no comment.

Turning my attention back to the bird-kid version of quiet mouse, still mouse, I noticed that she had managed to take another step. Something was different though. She wasn't moving away from Iggy like the coward I thought she was, she was moving _around_ him. Attacking from behind.

"Hey!" I blurted out indignantly, which only got the Threat 4 quick steps closer to Iggy. I got a sharp shut-up-you-idiot glare from Fang. Oops.

After a while-I don't even know how long it was- the Threat had managed to slither her way to about 3 feet behind Iggy. The silence was so deep, a pin coulda dropped and we all would've jumped a foot in the air. Which gave me an idea. Making one of my signature snap decisions, I gave a sharp clap, causing the Threat to suck in a tiny breath of surprise. But it was enough. Quick as lightning, Iggy spun around, landing an uppercut on her chin. Her head snapped back, but before Iggy could even lower his arm, the Threat recovered and jabbed his armpit. Iggy crumpled pitifully to the ground.

There was a long, tense silence.

"What the _hell _was that," Fang said in that creepy, deadly calm, voice he uses only for occasions like...well...this.

"You paralyze the enemy, you get away," the Threat answered quietly, helping a wobbly Iggy to his feet.

"You said you couldn't fight!" I accused. That dirty stinkin-

"And you'd call that a fight? That was hardly even ambush," she retorted. Stupid logic.

"Fine then," I said. "Put your shoes on. Nudge, you're up."

As soon as they started fighting, I noticed that Nudge was the only one throwing punches. The threat was just dodging and blocking. Figures.

"Stop!" I yelled, and they both froze. the Threat, who had bent backwards matrix-style, fell on her butt. And Nudge, startled by the sudden halt, was spun around in circles with the force of her own roundhouse kick. It was pretty dang hilarious. At least I think it was. I was too busy being annoyed.

"Okay, you can dodge," I said to the Threat, "but we already know that. Now you need to show us that you're not completely incompetent in the art of kicking people's butts. Got it?" She sighed and nodded her head. "Alright then. Proceed."

For the next couple of hours, everybody got a chance to fight with the Threat, giving her tips, showing her some moves, blah blah blah. We all pretty much kicked her butt, except for the Gasman. With a well-aimed, powerful kick to the back of his knee, the Threat had reduced him to pouty little lump on the floor. I, of course, cherished the opprotunity to beat the crap out of her.

It was the most fun I'd had all week.

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**Okay, that chapter was kinda lame, but that doesn't mean you shouldn't Review. In fact, I am going to pout until you do.**

**.....you gonna review?**

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**Your answer is yes.**

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**So press the button....**

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**....and write something.**

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**Thank you for your time :) and sorry about the short chapter :)  
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	8. Chapter 8

**Okay, so a WHOLE BUNCH of stuff is cleared up in this chapter :D I know it's sooo exciting! I had a lot of fun writing this chapter! But the next chapter is even better....you get to meek Jack. THE Jack. Oh, yes. Jump for joy, my friends! :D and don't forget to review!**

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**"Threat" POV**

I was tired. I was sore. And I was very, _very_ grumpy.

I'd only been doing this fighting stuff for 3 days! And I was already worn out!It would save everybody a whole lot of time and energy if-

"You can't run away from everything," said Angel, coming up beside me and sitting on the cave floor. Who said anything about running away? That made me sound like a total wimp.

"It's called escape and evasion," I growled. Angel sighed.

"You should tell us your name," she suggested out of the blue. And in the first time _ever _in my_ whole entire life_, I made a snap decision. "Yeah, I should. I'm leaving anyways. I'm going to find Jack." In unison, every member of the flock stopped what they were doing and turned to look at me.

"Who's that?" Gazzy asked at the same time Skye shouted, "Let me come, too!"

I faced the Gasman. "He's a good friend. Yes, he has wings, and no," I turned to Max, "he is not a threat." She turned red, and a sense of accomplishment came over me. Make the invincible Max blush: check. Taking a mental deep breath, I continued. "In fact, neither am I. My name is Mirage." Ignoring the astonished glances from the flock, I walked up to Skye, kneeling down beside her. "I know that you want to come with me." She nodded. "But I need you to stay with the flock. You're safe with them, and I can't spend my time worrying about you."

She was protesting before I even finished. "Please please please _please_ let me go! I can fly for a super long time and I won't get tired I can go fast and I'll keep up I promise and I...I can...I..." I pulled her into a hug as she burst into tears.

"Wait a minute," said Max, ending the mushy tear-fest. "You think that we're gonna let you leave? Just like that?"

"Well, _yeah_," I blurted without thinking. She started to stalk towards me, and I started to back up. It was pretty routine.

"NO!" Angel's voice cut through the tension like a razor. "She's telling the truth, Max."

There was a long silence. I could almost see the gears turning in Max's head as she contemplated whether or not to kill me on the spot. Then, something in her face changed. She was going to let me go. She trusted Angel that much. I resisted the urge to give her a big hug.

"Fine," she said, grudgingly. "But how long are you going to be gone?"

I sat down on the damp cave floor, trying to get comfortable. It would be a while before I moved again. "I'll tell you everything you need to know in...for hours and..." I had to think about it for a moment. "...twenty-seven minutes." At that, I closed my eyes and let my power slowly consume me.

* * *

**still Mirage's POV **

The things that I was feeling can't be described, but I'll do the best I can.

I felt myself hit a mental plateau. My power couldn't grow anymore- it was leveling out. My eyes were still closed, but I could feel everything. Not in a touchy-feely sorta way, but I just_ knew_. I knew that Iggy was muttering to Gazzy about a bomb that they were going to name the Monster Masher. I knew that Nudge, Angel, and Skye were playing tag, and that Max was impatiently waiting for me to do something. Fang was being...Fang. He was sitting there thinking about...Max. Interesting.

"Twenty-three days," I felt myself say. "Go to Kentucky. I'll meet you in the 3rd cave you stay in- the one by the huge Oak tree." All of this was just popping into my head, and I said it all before I had the chance to think about what I was thinking. If that makes sense. Acting on impulse, I turned my head a bit to the left.

"Good luck," I heard Max say from in front of me. I nodded, took a running start, and leaped into nothingness, hoping with tall my heart that, wherever I was going, it would eventually lead me to Jack.

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**Okay don't beat me! I know it was short and that I haven't updated in a little while...a long while...but the next chapter is THE CHAPTER. You know, the chapter that I've been wanting to write since I started the story. That one. So....**

**Read And (most importantly) REVIEW! :D  
**


	9. Chapter 8 ending sorry!

**So I realized that there was a big hole between ch. 8 and 9...so I went back to my notebook...and I found some more stuff that was SUPPOSED to by typed up as the rest of ch. 8! (no wonder it was so short) so...this is right after Mirage leaves the Flock. Sorry!**

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**Mirage POV**

The next week passed by in a blur. I flew, ate, drank. Random thoughts flew into my head, like "wish I'd told Nudge not to feed lettuce to chipmunks." Stuff like that. Other times, I would feel myself rise up, take a sharp turn, or drop down for no apparent reason. If I were looking at myself from the outside, I would see a girl flying to nowhere with her eyes closed.

But on the inside, I knew I was accomplishing something. I was getting closer. Jack wasn't dead, and _I was going to save him_. I could feel it. Just like I could feel the fatigue seeping into my bones. Normally, I would ignore it, but I knew that something was about to happen. I would need my strength. Diving down, I soon found myself landing in a tree. Where was I? ...Arizona. a.k.a. the middle of nowhere.

De-lightful.

I jumped to the ground, waiting for my power to kick in.

Nothing.

I frowned to myself. What was I supposed to do now? Open my eyes? Oh, yeah.

I opened my eyes. There was just enough light to see the skinny trees, dense underbrush, and small stream that surrounded me. It was the perfect hiding place. Ducking down, I drank some water from the stream and nearly groaned with pleasure- I hadn't realized how completely parched I was. After resting for a bit, I caught a skinny desert rabbit and ate it (I'll spare you the gory details). For such a mind-bendingly exciting adventure, that night was pretty boring.

The next morning, I flew up high, wincing as my sore wings stretched out. A couple of miles away, the dry shrubs gave way to a forest, which eventually stopped at the edges of a neighborhood. With like, _normal people_ in it. It was the only place I could go unless I wanted to, like,_ die_.

With a few powerful strokes, I was shooting through the air towards the unknown.


	10. Chapter 10

**Okay, so I know I've kept you guys dangling over the whole Jack thing, and it must be getting boring by now...(me? boring?...yeah...) so this is the chapter in which you meet Jack. I'm sorry mojomacy, you can't have him...he's mine :P Just remember, the Threat is now Mirage. Just saying.  
**

****THIS IS VERY IMPORTANT!** Jack's power is friggin awesome, but you'll need a key to understand it.**

**KEY:**

**_Major thoughts (stuff that Angel would pick up)_**

_Minor thoughts (stuff that runs involuntarily through the "back of your mind" like The Game. haha)_

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Mirage POV **

I was going to go completely insane. I was sure of it. When I landed in the forest, I had the urge to walk. So you know what I did? I walked.

And walked.

You know what I've been doing for the past 8 hours of my life? Walking.

Not only have I been wandering aimlessly around, but I feel like I'm actually _doing_ something. I have a sense of _accomplishment_. From _walking_. For _eight hours_.

Yeah. You would go crazy too. Trust me.

Totally worn out, I sat down on the ground, leaning against a tree. I could curl up and sleep here, or I could be safe (funny, right?) and find a cave. ...Definitely a cave. I stood up and closed my eyes, letting my power take me wherever the hell it wanted to. I was _so_ beyond caring.

_DUCK!_

All of my senses suddenly on hyper-alert, I ducked down just in time to feel a foot go whistling past the top of my head. Who knew I was here? There was no way the School could've tracked me! Still crouched down, I huddled against the ground and turned my wings the perfect shade of gray-brown, doing my very best impression of a rock. They would never see me, whoever they were. I heard my attacker take a few steps forward, probably expecting to see something other than an empty forest.

Sucker.

After he let out a wild cry of frustration, I felt something hard connect with my wing. Probably his fist. Lemme tell ya, it hurt like crap. But if you punched a normal rock, would It cry out? No. And right now, I. Was. A. Rock. So, there.

I heard his breath catch. Uh oh. I felt him run his hands over my very un-rock-like feathers. Double uh oh. I prepared myself to use the techniques Max had taught me; in this forest, flying away was not an option.

3...2...

"Mirage?" My name was whispered, but I would recognize that voice anywhere. I started to shake. I couldn't stand up fast enough.

"JACK!" I yelled, practically tackling him. "I...missed...you...so...much!" I managed to choke out in between hysteric gasps of air. I had thrown my arms around his neck, and now his strong arms circled me, crushing me to him, making it hard to breathe. My hand found the back of his neck, and now that we were touching, his thoughts merged with mine.

For a while, there were no words, just happiness and relief and the feeling that the weight of the world was just lifted off our shoulders.

_**I missed you too**_, he finally thought. _**I'm so happy you came! **Skye... **Where's Skye?**_

_**Safe. We're all safe. **_It was such a relief to know that everything was going to be okay. I hadn't had that feeling in a long time. _**Now tell me**_, I demanded. **_Tell me everything. _**_Hope it's not too bad..._

_**Well**_, he thought, **_They carted me back to the School _**_had to pee super uncomfortable __**and did a bunch of tests on my brain.** So much pain...** I think they were gonna take it out or something, but they wanted me alive, I guess. Right before I escaped, **I love explosives **they put me up against all these Erasers, **wing got torn **and it wasn't too bad. **I thought I was gonna die._

**Wait**, I interrupted. **_Your wing is torn? _ **_how are we gonna get back?  
_

"It's not that bad," he mumbled indignantly, but I caught a stray thought. _Wonder if it's stopped bleeding...?  
_

"Thoughts speak louder than words. Now, Turn. Around."

"Fine," he grumbled moodily, but I could feel the relief and excitement pouring out of him.

The wound wasn't hard to find. I could see where the Eraser had bitten down, tearing the muscle and probably breaking a bone. His beautiful brown-gray wings were streaked and matted with blood. There was no way I could fix this by myself.

"Come on," I said, already walking. He knew better than to ask where we were going. I never knew. We walked for several hours, but I didn't mind. I was with Jack. He was alive. Once we were back with Skye, everything would be normal again. At least, as normal as a bird-kid's life could get. Which isn't normal at all, but still. I was brought out of my little bubble of happiness by the feeling of Jack's confusion and alarm.

Snapping myself back into reality, I realized that we had gone into the neighborhood at the edge of the forest. Maybe there was a first-aid kit lying around...yeah, right. I kept going.

Hand-in-hand, Jack and I walked quickly and quietly through the darkening streets. I made sure to keep near the forest in case we had to bolt. Call me paranoid, but if you'd spent your life running from things that were programmed to kill you, then you'd be a bit jumpy, too.

I felt the urge to stop, so I stopped.

Turning, I saw that we were standing in front of a neat looking house. It had a little garden filled with bright flowers, and I found myself smiling in spite of the desperate situation. Sighing, I accepted the fact that I actually had to go inside and dragged an unwilling Jack up the porch steps. I rang the doorbell. The door opened, and a dark-haired lady was standing there, smiling at us.

"Can I help you?" she asked.

Jack gave me a look. **_You do the talking. I have no idea what we're doing. _**_how is this helping, anyways?_

I gave out another big sigh. "I hope so." I gestured to Jack in all his bloody glory. "He's pretty beat up. Can you, like, _do_ anything?"

She turned to Jack, and as she took in his blood-soaked clothes, her eyes went wide. "Yes, of course I can help!" she said, ushering us into the house. "I'll get my stuff. I'm a vet, you know, but I can do people too." A vet. How ironic.

A young girl stepped into the hallway, stopping when she saw us. There was a brief pause.

"Mom," she said to the lady, who had returned with an enormous white bag. "You have to stop taking people in. These two could be long-lost cousins with like, flippers or something."

...ooooookaaaaaaaaayyyy...

"Ella," the lady scolded. "go back to your homework."

Trying to get past the weirdness, I managed to gather that she had taken people in before. Strange people...mutants. I felt panic start to rise in my chest before I realized that there was really nothing to panic about. In fact, this was perfect! She'd taken in mutants before, she could do it again. But which mutants? As far as I knew, the Flock, Jack, Skye, and I were the only ones away from the School.

So that means...

"Hey!" I turned to Jack, who was shaking me lightly. "What is it?" he asked, concern etched on his face.

"Max," I whispered.

"What?" he asked, totally lost. I quickly broke our connection. He couldn't know about the Flock-not yet.

I tuned to the lady. "You know Max."

"Well, I know several people named Max," she said evenly. I liked her already.

"And Fang, Iggy, Nudge, Gazzy, and Angel. We're like them, and we need your help." Her eyes widened with every word until she gained her composure and nodded.

"Follow me. I'll get you all fixed up." As she led us to the bathroom, Jack gave me his "what-the-hell-are-you-doing-you-must-be-completely-insane" look that I know, love, and completely ignore. She then sat Jack down on the edge of the bathtub and got to work. After she carefully cut off his tattered shirt, there was a lot of snipping and stitching and wrapping as well as quite a few curses on Jack's part.

"Ella?" the lady, whose name was Dr. Martinez, called. "Would you get us 2 glasses of water?"

"Sure, mom." After some shuffling, Ella walked into the bathroom and nearly dropped the glasses. "Oh. My. Gosh," she gasped, laughing hysterically. "you have _got_ to be kidding me!" She then stumbled out of the bathroom, still doubled over with laughter.

What a strange girl.

While Dr. Martinez continued to work, Jack and I drained several glasses of water. I noticed him shooting me weird looks over the rim of his cup, only to drop his gaze when I looked back. How strange... Jack was definitely not one to shy away-especially from me. I gave him a questioning glance, but he just shook his head.

Several minutes passed in silence.

"All done," said Dr. Martinez, standing up. I let out a breath I hadn't realized I'd been holding. _Finally. _Now, she'll send us on our way, and I can- "Now, who wants some chocolate chip cookies? They're Max's favorite!"

Before I even had time say no, Jack answered for me. "Sure. We'd love some."

I gawked at him. We had to go! We _had _to get back to Skye. There could be no delay.

I got up to follow Dr. Martinez and tell her no, but Jack caught me by the wrist. _**You need to take a break. You work to much. **looks exhausted_... _**Besides, my wing needs some time to heal. **it feels so much better._

I smiled gratefully, doing my best to calm down. There was nothing to worry about anyway.

While the cookies were baking, Dr. Martinez gave me some fresh clothes. To my utter dismay, she didn't have anything that fit Jack. That means I'd have to survive a _whole week_ with a shirtless Jack _without_ melting into a pile of ogling goo.

De-lightful.

Just then, the oven beeped, dragging me out of my panic attack. I quickly and eagerly shoved one into my mouth, burning my tongue but totally not caring. These cookies were indescribably delectable. I didn't even try to hold in my moan of pleasure. I knew that no other cookie in the whole entire world would ever measure up to this homemade deliciousness.

"Oh mah gawf," said Jack through a mouthful of cookie. "Theef ah da bef coofef efah." I nodded my head in agreement, trying to savor my 5th slice of heaven. I could see why Max loved them so much.

Jack swallowed. "How much longer until my wing heals?"

"About 5 days," Dr. Martinez replied. "And I really mean 5 days. I know how fast you guys heal, and I do take that into consideration." Jack nodded. "Also, it's getting late. You two need your sleep."

She then led us to our respective bedrooms; mine was across from the bathroom, and Jack's was at the end of the hall. I wanted more then anything to spend the whole night talking to him, but I was just _so tired_. As soon as my head hit the pillow, I felt myself sinking into the best sleep I'd had in months.

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**You like? If you do, please tell me so. It makes me SO HAPPY when people review! Who knows? If i get lots of reviews i might update faster... o.O**


	11. Chapter 11

**Oh my gosh, I'm sooooooooooo sorry i haven't updated! I'll get right to the story.**

**Disclaimer: I don't own Maximum Ride. If I did, I wouldn't be writing this story. So, there.**

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**Mirage POV**

I woke to the smell of bacon and pancakes. This confused me for a second before I remembered where I was and how I got here.

_Jack._ I sighed wistfully. _He's here. He's safe._

I felt the breeze of someone passing by, but before I had time to sit up, a crushing weight pinned me to my bed, driving the air from my lungs.

"Good morning," Jack whispered in my ear, his warm breath tickling my ear.

"Get...off...me...you...fatso," I groaned, gasping for air.

He laughed and got up, pulling me with him. I leaned into him, not having the energy to stand up by myself. We stayed like that for a while, and to be honest, I nearly fell back asleep.

"I never got a chance to thank you for saving me," he said, rocking back and forth.

"Mmm," was my genius reply.

"So, thank you, Mirage, for saving my life."

I tried to say, "Anytime," but I think it came out more like, "Aaahh-ummm."

"You need to wake up."

"Mmm."

"There's bacon and pancakes."

"Mmm."

"I know how much you love pancakes." It was true. I once deprived IHOP of half a day's worth of pancake batter in 1 hour. Heaven.

"Mmmhmmm."

"You know, you're gonna have to walk to the kitchen _sometime_," Jack said after a short pause.

"Mmm."

He let out a huge, exasperated sigh. "Fine then. I'll just have to get you there myself."

My eyes flew open. I was instantly alert. I knew what was coming, but I didn't have time to move. "No!" I yelled, too late. My world had already been turned upside-down as he flung me over his shoulder like I weighed nothing.

Knowing that it pointless to struggle, I pressed my palm against the small of his back.

_**I hate you, **_I thought moodily._**  
**_

_**Of course you do. **wonder if... _His thought was cut off as he smothered our mental link.

"What?" I asked, genuinely curious. "What do you wonder?"

"Nothing of consequence," he said quickly, which basically meant it was super-important.

"Tell me," I demanded. But my authority was marred by the fact that he had me upside-down on his shoulder. Jerk.

"Mornin' Dr. M," Jack said cheerfully, worsening my mood. Stupid cheerful people.

"Good morning Jack! Oh, hello Mirage!" Dr. M practically sang.

"I hate you all."

"Ummm...panckes?" she offered, trying to ignore my dark mood.

"Eight please," Jack chirped. "How many you want, Mirage?"

"Shut up."

"Ooooohhh...It'll take at least 15 to cheer her up," Jack replied. He knew me too well.

"Set me down," I said indignantly, pounding my fists against his back.

"Okay, ow,_ ow_...okay, jeez..._ow_," he complained as I was gently placed in the seat next to him. Much better.

"Thank you," I said, suddenly in a much better mood. "And yes, 15 pancakes would be _awesome_."

Dr. M continued making pancakes while I inhaled bacon and Jack mumbled something about me being bi-polar. I ignored him.

I spent the next half hour stuffing my face with pancakes, bacon, and orange juice. We played some board games with Ella (I tried not to use my power! I really did!), watched some TV, and generally relaxed. I, of course, went flying, leaving Jack to mope by the window. It was a short flight that gave me almost no satisfaction. That night, I flopped onto my bed, worn out from all the fun.

"Come in," I heard myself say.

I saw him slip through the door, closing it softly behind him. "Jack," I mumbled, holding out my arms. Not a second later, he was there, and the room seemed warmer, more comforting.

"I missed you," he whispered, his lips brushing my cheek. My heart immediately went into overdrive, thumping wildly in my chest.

"I missed you too," I mumbled, trying to keep my voice from shaking. We had never gotten this close before.

"How much did you miss me?" he asked. What a stupid question.

"So much," I answered honestly, my voice breaking. Our cheeks were touching, so I tried to convey the feeling of longing I had felt through all those weeks he was gone. But the link was closed off. "Hey," I protested. He knew what I meant.

"Oh, don't worry I can hear you," he assured me, gently stroking my hair. I sighed contentedly, almost forgetting the fact that he wouldn't let me into his head. Almost.

"Mmm...hey, let me in," I said, tapping his temple.

"You don't want to see what's in there," he said, completely catching me off guard. Was he...? No... He wouldn't.

"Are you..." I tried to voice the impossible. "Are you _keeping secrets from me_?"

There was silence. He didn't immediately deny it. This had to be some huge misun-

His voice interrupted my jumbled thoughts. "You kind of already know," he started slowly, "but you may not realize how much it...matters. To me."

His explanation did nothing to soothe my racing heart. I sat up, shaking in disbelief. "How-" I started to stutter. "How _could _you?" We had practically shared a brain since the day me met. Keeping a secret meant he was re-separating those brains.

He was pulling away from me.

"I'm not-"

"Not _what_? Not keeping secrets? That's not enough? You have to lie about it too?" Needless to say, I was furious. Crushed. Horrified. Scared.

"_No_." He said the word with such conviction and strength, my mind stopped racing. I settled down just enough to stop and listen. He sat up, gripping my head between his hands. "I just- I need you to listen. The thing is, I- I just," I squinted through the darkness, trying to read his face, and almost not believing what I saw there. His determined expression had turned squeamish, and he was...blushing?

What?

He sighed, giving up on words, and slowly opened his mind.

The feeling hit me like a landslide. It was unadulterated and raw, clawing its way through me, consuming everything in its path. I heard myself gasp. This couldn't be real. It was too good to be true.

I felt myself smile. Jack _loved_ me. Not the brother-sister kind of love, but the true, deep-rooted love that was almost _painful_. _Wait_, I realized with a shock. _It_ is_ painful_.

I forced my eyes open, only to realize that I had thrown my arms around him, my nails digging into his injured wing. Oops.

"S-sorry," I stammered, quickly disentangling myself.

"Fine with me."

I risked a brief glance at his face, which turned out to be a big mistake. He was looking at me with an irresistible gleam in his eyes. It was almost hypnotizing, but I somehow managed to look away, blushing furiously.

I laid back down, half of me wishing it was a dream, the other half telling my first half to shut up and enjoy the moment. Jack, of course, lay down next to me while I concentrated on keeping my bones from turning to Jell-O. Then, I felt his arms encircle me, and I came _this_ close to hyperventilating. But before my head had the chance to explode, his lips were on mine, warm and gentle, settling my nerves and calming my racing heart.

His hands moved to my back, rubbing the space between my wings, and my fingers tangled in his hair, pulling him ever closer. It was the perfect moment. Which means that something had to go horribly wrong.

The first sign was a slight tingle on my leg. I, of course, ignored it.

A moment later, the spot started to itch. I studiously focused on Jack.

Then, the itch started to move, starting at my ankle and moving up to the back of my knee. A horrible thought crossed my mind.

_Oh, crap._

Lightning fast, I sprang to my feet, squealing and thrashing.

"What? What's wrong?" Jack yelled above my screeching.

I thing I might've said something like, "omagahgetioff!"

Anyway, I was freaking out and Jack was frantically trying to figure out _why_ I was freaking out.

It was all very hectic.

After a while, Jack must have gathered his nerves, because I felt his hand clamp over my mouth, silencing me and stopping my flailing. My breathing eventually calmed, and he withdrew his hand, turning me around to face him. His eyes were wide and panicked, surely a reflection of my own.

"Explain," he demanded, reaching for my arm. I pulled back, suddenly embarrassed by my sudden outburst of terror.

"Ummm...it, uh... I guess it was just, um-" I stuttered nervously. If he knew what had interrupted our, er, moment, then he would never stop laughing. Ever. But what else could I do? Lying was out of the question, of course. There was no possible way to avoid the question- Jack wasn't one to give up. I ground my teeth in frustration. I would have to tell him.

"Well?" he asked, impatient for an answer.

"Well," I started slowly, "you remember that one night a couple months ago, when I found a spider in my hair and was too afraid to sleep for the next couple of days?"

"Yeah, why?"

"Well, I kinda freaked out now cause I felt this thing on my leg and I then I actually thought about it-"

"Wait," he interrupted me. "You freaked out cause of a _bug_?"

I looked at my shoes, ashamed. The amazing Mirage, escape artist extraordinaire, and world-renown...entomophobic. **(A/N- that's severe fear of bugs)**

Sure enough, Jack was trying to smother his laughter while I defended myself in vain. "But it was a _cockroach_! They're creepy _and_ indestructible! Stop laughing at..." My voice petered out as he hugged me, his comforting thoughts swirling around in my head.

**_I love you so much_**, he thought unexpectedly, sending my head spinning and the blood rushing to my cheeks.

_**Even though I'm crazy? **_I asked, doubt still lingering in the back of my head.

_**You wouldn't be Mirage if you weren't**_

I smiled and climbed back into bed, finally falling asleep in Jack's warm embrace.

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**And there you have it. I figured that everyone has to have a weakness. Max's is emotion and Mirage's is...well...bugs. Hmm. Anyways, you know what to do. Read and Review!**


	12. Chapter 12

**Ooooooohhhhh-kaaaaaaaayyyy….yeaaaaah…..how long has it been? FOREVER? And EVER? …oops. :D forgive me?**

**Disclaimer: despite my attempts at world domination, I have yet to obtain the legal rights to Maximum Ride. Dang it.  
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**Max POV**

"Max? …..Maaaaaaax?"

Cracking my eyes open, I glimpsed a wisp of blonde hair and mischievous blue eyes.

"What do you want Gazzy?" I mumbled, half awake. Normally, I could wake up and be alert in just a few seconds. Today, not so much. Without Mirage to get seriously angry at, my life had been reduced to a series of boring flights and tedious night watches. Fun.

"I'm hungry and we don't have any food," he complained. "Iggy was gonna tell you, but he fell asleep. Anyway, we need to find somewhere to eat."

Sitting up groggily, I looked around our cheery little camp. Iggy, like Gazzy had said, was passed out in a nearby tree, and Angel and Nudge were talking quietly to each other. "Where's Fang?"

"Right here," said a quiet voice an inch from my ear. I whipped around, my heart pounding. Why didn't that kid ever make any noise? I was planning on yelling at him, but he was _right there_. And by _right there_, I mean our noses were almost touching. I felt my insides begin to turn to Jell-O and mentally kicked myself. _Get it together, Max! _"There's a Burger King about 13 miles west, in case you were wondering," Fang said quietly, his breath hot on my cheek.

I swallowed hard, managed a nod, and turned away before I hyperventilated. "Alright, guys, up and at 'em!" I yelled, waking Iggy and drawing Skye out of…..wherever she slept. Nobody knew, except maybe Angel, where that place was.

The first night, when we noticed Skye missing, we all panicked, thinking she had run away. We looked and looked until she came out of the forest, rubbing her eyes and asking groggily what we were doing. Turns out she just enjoys sleeping where nobody can find her. Shocker.

Anyway, in a matter of minutes, we had packed up our meager supplies and headed off to Burger King.

Fang flew up beside me. "What are you going to do about Skye?" he asked, making sure the small girl was out of ear-shot.

To tell you the truth, I had hoped to ignore her, but she hadn't said a word since Mirage left and wasn't eating as much I know a bird-kid her size should. "You could get Angel to talk to her," I suggested lamely.

"Or _you_ could talk to her."

I stared dumbly at Fang. He did _not _just suggest that. "M-me?" I stammered, frantically trying to come up with a good excuse. "Angel knows what's going on in her head. Besides, aren't they friends or something?"

Fang sighed. "If Gazzy was dumped into another flock, who would you want him to talk to? A creepy mind-reading six year old or someone who's been dealing with little kids for their entire life?"

I opened my mouth to protest, but nothing came out. Fang was right. Curse his logic.

"Fine," I huffed, crossing my arms as we descended into an alley near the restaurant. "But only after we eat. I'm starving."

We decided not to eat in the restaurant; it was too public. Instead, we took it back into the safety of the wilderness.

Right in the middle of our little picnic, Nudge gasped, gave out an excited squeal, then said something like, "Olookieisachimunk!"

We all stared at her.

"Ummm, gazuntite?" Iggy said, breaking the silence.

"Nooooooo guys. It's a chipmunk!" Nudge pointed to a nearby tree, where a little rat-thing was sitting in one of the lower branches. "Isn't it cute? Here little chipmunk! I have some yummy lettuce for you!" She then proceeded to walk towards the rodent, lettuce in hand. I continued to eat my sandwich.

Not a second later, Nudge let out a shriek of surprise. "It _bit_ me!" she yelled, sucking on her wounded finger, which had begun to spurt blood.

"Chipmunks," said Gazzy in a matter-of-fact tone, "are still wild animals and should be treated as such."

"Where'd you get that Gasman?," Iggy teased, "the nature channel?"

Gazzy shifted uncomfortably on the ground where he was scarfing down his fourth burger. "It's a cool channel…" Iggy snickered.

"Come on guys," I said, putting on my best leader voice. "Finish up. We have to get going."

"How much farther?" Skye asked absently, catching me by surprise. I'd completely forgotten about her.

"Well," I started, trying to think of a good answer. How was I supposed to know_ exactly_ where we were, not to mention what kind of things we might run into on the way to Kentucky? And then it hit me: Mirage would have known. "We'll get there when we get there," I said firmly.

"But-" Skye looked up, clearly confused, then her shoulders sagged as she realized that she was stuck with a whole bunch of wanabes (a.k.a. _us_) that she didn't know. Yeah. I wouldn't be too happy either.

"Talk to her," Fang whispered in my ear, sending shivers down my spine. He smirked at my reaction. That little twit. I jumped into the air, and the Flock followed suit. Soon we were all soaring above the clouds, and I couldn't help but let out a little sigh.

I spotted Skye flying above the rest of us, looking disinterested and sad, and flew up to meet her. She glanced at me warily, but didn't move. There was an awkward pause.

"You need to eat more," I said, getting to the point in my usual Max fashion. "We don't want you to starve."

Skye squirmed, but said nothing.

"And you can talk to us. We don't bite." I tried my best to sound positive and reassuring, but I'm not sure it did any good.

"I'm fine," Skye said quietly. "It's just different, that's all."

"What's different?" I asked, genuinely curious. I hadn't ever stopped to consider that there might be other bird-kids, much less that they might have a completely different living style than us.

"You guys talk a lot," she said in a matter-of-fact tone. "Usually, we just use Jack. And also-"

"Wait," I blurted, cutting her off. "Use Jack for what? Talking?"

Skye hesitated, obviously deliberating over whether or not to tell me what was so special about Jack. "Well," she started. I nodded encouragingly. "Jack can read minds…and it goes both ways."

I almost laughed out loud. "We have Angel and _we_ still talk." I was still holding in chortling when I looked over to see her staring at me disapprovingly. "What?"

"It's not like Angel's power." Skye said seriously, shredding any humorous thoughts I might have been harboring on the subject. "When Jack uses his power, he makes all the minds mush together. It's not like you're talking to each other," she visibly struggled for words, "it's more like you're thinking together like one person. Except you're actually two people with two minds," Skye made a face, like she'd tasted something sour. "You look confused."

Confused? I was _way_ beyond confused. "You lost me at 'mush together.'"

Skye let out another big sigh. "You'll see when Mirage gets back. Like I was saying, you have more people, too. It's just really different. I'll get used to it," she promised, smiling shyly at me.

"Okay. Just don't starve." With that, I dived down to join the rest of the Flock, Skye's words still buzzing in my head.

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**Yaaaaaay! I, personally, thought that was a pretty awesome, if not uneventful, chapter. At least you learned something! And there will be FAX! eventually…**

**Read and Review! well...actually, you've already read soooo... REVIEW! Please.  
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